Some portable home air conditioners can't cool rooms to 24 C, consumer agency finds

Portable home air conditioners — popular among single-person households for their ease of use and no-installation setup — vary significantly in cooling performance, a new analysis has found.

The Korea Consumer Agency on Wednesday released performance test results for six portable air conditioner models designed for spaces of 5 to 8 pyeong (1 pyeong equals 3.3 square meters): LG Electronics, Boguk Electronics, Weltem, Hanil Electric, Iparam and Lotte Himart Flux.

In a test measuring how quickly each unit could lower an indoor temperature of 35 degrees Celsius to 24 C — running at maximum fan speed without additional insulation — the LG Electronics model performed best, reaching the target in about 26 minutes. The Iparam model followed at around 36 minutes. The remaining four models failed to reach 24 C even after extended operation.

In a separate five-hour cooling test under the same conditions, the average indoor temperature varied by as much as 2.1 degrees Celsius across products. LG Electronics and Iparam maintained temperatures of 23.4 to 23.5 C, deviating only 0.5 to 0.6 degrees from the set temperature.

With insulation added around the window exhaust hose, four of the six models brought the room down to 24 C within 41 to 58 minutes. However, the exhaust hose itself posed a separate problem: five models — all except LG Electronics — came with insufficient window-gap insulation, allowing warm outside air to seep back indoors.

The agency recommended that those five manufacturers provide additional accessories — including insulation panels and window-lock devices — free of charge. Lotte Himart and Weltem said they would supply the accessories at no cost to existing customers and include them with future sales.

All six models registered an average noise level of 53 decibels when set to 24 C on maximum fan speed — about 9 decibels louder than comparable wall-mounted units, though slightly above the noise level inside a typical classroom (50 decibels). Among the tested models, LG Electronics was the quietest at 46 decibels.

In a joint evaluation with the Korea Energy Agency covering monthly energy costs and CO₂ emissions, all six models met the post-market management standards under the Efficiency Management Equipment Operation Regulation. The LG Electronics and Iparam models, both rated first-grade for energy efficiency, performed best in terms of power consumption and environmental impact.

Some products also had labeling issues. The Flux model listed its cooling area as 26 square meters when the actual figure was 23 square meters. The LG Electronics model listed a higher CO₂ emission figure on its energy efficiency label than what appeared on its official declaration certificate.

The agency advised consumers to check key performance indicators — including cooling capacity and noise levels — and to consider installation conditions and whether adequate window insulation is included before purchasing a portable air conditioner.